Improved safety stirrup-fastening



aires anni* i..

W'M. FAWGETT, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y. i f

IMPROVED SAFETY STIRRUP-FASTENING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5l,70, dated December 26, 1865; antcdated December 13, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM Fnwcn'rr, ot' the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Safety StirrupFastenin gs; andldo hereby de` clare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specifica tion.

Owing to the frequent occurrence of accidents while riding horse-back, by the throwing oft' of the rider in consequence of some sudden fright ofthe horse, or to his becoming uninanageable or balky, which oftentimes were attended with serious injuries to life and limbs because of his inability to disengage his feet from the stirrups, thus necessarily being dragged by the horse over the ground, it has long been a desideratum to secure the stir rups to their straps or the stirrup-straps to the saddle in such a manner as not only to obtain a secure fastening therefor, but also one which, in case ot' accidents, would allow the feet to be easily and readily disengaged from the horse.

To produce such a fastening is, therefore, the object of the present invention, and is accomplished thereby, it consisting in a peculiar construction and arrangement ot' that portion ot' the stirrup through which the strap is passed, and by which the stirrup is hungt'rom the saddle, as will be presently` described.

In accompanying plate of drawings, my improvement is represented, Figure 1 being a side view ofthe same, together with a stirrup, Fig. 2, a cross-sectional view in plane of line x fr, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a detailed View, to be hereinafter referred to.

a a in the drawings represent a stirrup, which may be made of any ot' the usual forms and material, and of any desired size and ornamentation,to the upper side, b, ot'which at'rame, c, consisting ot' two side or upright pieces, d df, and a lower cross-bar,f, extending from one side piece to the other, and either secured to them in any proper manner, or forming a part of the same, is hung by short studs or pins g g at each end, turning in bearings of vertical projecting pieces h h of the stirrup,

one ot' which has a iange, Z, upon its upper portion overlapping the upper end of the side piece, d, of the frame.

Extending across the space or opening between the upper ends of the side pieces, d d', is a cross-bar, m, hinged at one end to the side piece, d, and fitting, by its other end, within the vertical slot n in the piece d, said cross-bar m being ot' an'equal length, or nearly so, to the entire length ot' the outside of the frame.

O is a spring, bent into the form represented in Fig. 3, corresponding to the shape ot" the exterior ofthe pieces of the frame, and placed around one of the same, to which it can be secured at the lower or bent portiornp, by a rivet or by any other proper means, said spring being of a little greater length than the side piece, about which it is placed, as described, and bearin g at each ot' its ends upon and against the shoulders r r, upon each side of the ange l of the stirrup, under which the frame swings, as before explained.

The strap by which the stirrup is hung from the saddle is passed through the opening or space s, between the upper and lower crosspieces of the Swingin g frame, and looped therein in the ordinary manner.

ln case ot accident to the rider by being suddenly thrown from the horse7 in which case the rider would necessarily be dragged upon the ground for some considerable distance be cause of the great difficulty generally experienced in then disengaging the feet from the stirrups with the ordinary modes of attachment to the saddle heretofore used, the often serious results ot' which are well known, it is apparent that with my improvement above described, by pulling with the foot upon the stirrup, the strap in the loop of which the upper end of the stirrup is hung, as explained, causes the frame to be swung' or turned suffithe stirrup, under which it its, to disengage its hinged cross -piece from the slot of the frame and open it therefrom, thus allowing the strap to freely slide ott of it, when the stirrup falls to the ground, and the foot is relieved, as desired, the advantages of which are many and manifest to all.

The spring attached to the swinging frame, and bearing against the shoulders of the anged ciently in its bearings away from the dan ge of upright piece, as explained, should be made of a sufficient degree of stiffness to prevent the frame from turning with the ordinary and necessary strains upon the stirrup while riding, and in lieu of being in one piece,1nay be made in two separate parts, respectively attached to each side of the frame.

The swinging frame can be swung in either direction upon its pivots, although it is not absolutely necessary that it should be so arranged; and therefore I do not intend to limit myself to its swinging in one or both directions alone.

Having thus described my invention,I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Hanging the loop of a stirrup-strap to and within a spring swinging frame of the upper end of the stirrup, having a hinged side, and arranged and operating substantially in the manner described, and for the purpose specified.

WM. FAWGETT.

Witnesses:

ALBERT WV. BROWN, M. M. LIVINGsToN. 

